Paul Residence

Before he was elected President, when JFK traveled to Palm Beach, he stayed at his father’s Spanish-style estate on Ocean Blvd. However, after the election, Joe, Sr.’s house would not accomodate both the Kennedy family and all of the Presidential entourage.

To offset these logistical problems, the presidential party usually stayed at the nearby estate of Colonel C. Michael Paul, who was a wealthy financier and retired Army officer.

The Kennedy’s and Radziwill’s celebrating Christmas at the home of C. Michael Paul

Paul’s opulent estate had eight bedrooms, museum quality art on the walls, a panoramic floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean, a grand marble staircase, and a heated swimming pool. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was said to be very comfortable using the house.

In addition, the house met her chief requirement of providing privacy through the high hedges that completely surrounded the property. This allowed Caroline and John, Jr. to play in the outdoor fountain complete with lilly pads unseen and provided ample space for the machine-gun toting Secret Service officers to set-up and maintain a security perimeter.